Today's Highlights：
1. NRTA Holds Mini Series Creation Event Under the "Two Talents" Strong Talent Initiative
2. "Travel with Mini Series" Thematic Creation & Sharing Session Held in Huangshan
3. From "New Blueprint" to "Vivid Reality": One Mini Series Ignites a City's Popularity
4. Huainan's Datong District: Multiple Mini Series Film at Jiulonggang Historical and Cultural Block
5. The Fourth Digital and Intelligent Audiovisual Academic Workshop Held, Focusing on the Development of Mini Series in the AI Era
6. Maoyan Chart-Topper Elevates Historical Power-Play Mini Series to a New Level 

NRTA Holds Mini Series Creation Event Under the "Two Talents" Strong Talent Initiative
 

Recently, the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) held the "Telling Good Stories, Empowering All Industries" mini series creation event in Xi'an, Shaanxi, as part of its "Two Talents" Strong Talent Initiative. The event was hosted by the NRTA's Department of Personnel and organized by the Research and Training Institute of NRTA, with support from the Shaanxi Provincial Administration of Radio and TV. It aimed to address key industry issues such as the creation of high-quality mini series, empowering various sectors, and fostering a positive creative ecosystem. The goal was to further strengthen the talent pool selected for the "Two Talents" initiative and maximize the leading and exemplary role of high-level professionals in driving high-quality industry development. A total of twenty-six leading talents from the national radio, television, and online audio-visual industry participated in the event.

The event emphasized the integration of talent development with tangible outcomes, closely aligning with the NRTA's central mission. It focused on outstanding practical cases within the mini series industry including policy guidance, supportting services, industry-university integration, reform and transformation, and model innovation. Based on participants' professional fields and areas of expertise, the event organized leading talents to conduct research briefings around three core themes: mini series content creation, business innovation, and empowering various industries. These research briefings are intended to provide decision-making references to promote the high-quality development of the mini series sector.

"Travel with Mini Series" Thematic Creation & Sharing Session Held in Huangshan
 

On December 16, a "Travel with Mini Series" thematic creation and sharing session was held in Huangshan. As a key sub-event of the 2025 Anhui Audio-Visual and Cultural Tourism Integration Development Conference, this session brought together top domestic experts, industry leaders, and creators from the cultural tourism and film and television sectors to discuss how mini series can become a new engine for driving local cultural tourism economies.

Four mini series projects, including Yan Shang Ji Sheng Hua (Flowers Blossom on the Inkstone), featuring rich Anhui elements, were presented in roadshows. Following the roadshows, six guest speakers from the industry forefront, including Li Haijue, who is in charge of cultural tourism mini series under Mango TV's "Da Mang" Plan Studio, delivered thematic speeches. The six speakers shared insights ranging from generating online "traffic" for works to the "retention" of tourists, from scene innovation to strategies for adding value to the industry. They provided valuable perspectives on the mutually beneficial integration of mini series and cultural tourism. Attendees expressed that with Anhui's inherent advantages combined with innovative formats that deeply integrate audio-visual art and the mobile internet in the new era, Anhui is poised to produce more high-quality cultural tourism mini series in the future. They believe that more tourists will be drawn to Anhui, not only to explore the region but also to understand, appreciate, and fall in love with it, all thanks to a drama, a story.

From "New Blueprint" to "Vivid Reality": One Mini Series Ignites a City's Popularity
 

In recent years, the mini series industry in Zhengzhou has gained significant momentum, playing a leading role in both production output and its reach and influence. Recently, Ding Bincheng, a mini series director from Beijing, received an offer from a Zhengzhou-based short drama company. He traveled from Beijing to the Zhengzhou film set, planning to complete the principal filming of the mini series within a week. The film crew was based at Jumei Film Studio, where over ten other mini series crews were also shooting. 

According to base operators, the base can provide a "one-stop" solution for basic scenes involving daily life and workplace settings, making it a popular choice for productions since its opening. Currently, Zhengzhou is home to 16 such professional mini series filming bases, with a total shooting area exceeding 10,000 square meters.

Statistics show that in the past two years, Zhengzhou has consistently ranked the second in China for annual mini series filming, with an average of around 100 short dramas being filmed daily and more than 30,000 industry professionals involved. By the end of 2024, the number of mini series production enterprises in Zhengzhou had surpassed 820. Today, Zhengzhou's mini series industry has formed a development pattern characterized by diverse themes, high-quality production, and standardized profit model.

Huainan's Datong District: Multiple Mini Series Film at Jiulonggang Historical and Cultural Block
 

Recently, several online mini series and short films have chosen the Jiulonggang Historical and Cultural Block in Datong District, Huainan City, as their filming location. This historic block, which preserves the legacy of Huainan's century-old mining industry, has become a popular filming site thanks to its unique architecture and strong industrial atmosphere. This surge in filming activity not only vividly showcases the block's historical and cultural characters, but also promotes the integration of culture and tourism and helps spread the city's public image. It serves as a vivid example of how the "film and television + tourism" model can revitalize old urban areas, injecting new momentum into the development of the local cultural industry.

The Fourth Digital and Intelligent Audiovisual Academic Workshop Held, Focusing on the Development of Mini Series in the AI Era
 

Recently, the Fourth Digital and Intelligent Audiovisual Academic Workshop, organized by the Film and Television Creation Research Center of Zhengzhou University, was held at the School of Journalism & Communication, Zhengzhou University. The workshop was themed "Innovating Aesthetic Paradigms and Exploring Breakthrough Pathways for Mini Series in the Age of Artificial Intelligence." Well-known scholars and industry experts from universities and the media sector across China attended the event to discuss innovative approaches to the development of mini series in the era of intelligent media. 

During the keynote speech session, several experts shared their views on the current situation, challenges, and future prospects of mini series. Participants agreed that with the support of AI technology, mini series should seek breakthroughs in narrative aesthetics, cultural depth, and international communication. They emphasized the need to avoid content homogenization, draw inspiration from traditional culture, and enhance artistic quality and social value. The workshop also featured roundtable discussions, research presentations on mini series creation, and themed film screenings. Through these diverse activities, the event helped promote deeper integration between theory and practice. During the workshop, the Zhengzhou University Institute for Digital and Intelligent Audiovisual (Mini Series) Industry Research was officially unveiled.

Maoyan Chart-Topper Elevates Historical Power-Play Mini Series to a New Level 
 

Recently, the historical revenge mini series Zhang Ming (The Architect) launched on Tencent Video. Upon its release, the series quickly topped the Maoyan popularity chart in the romance-focused mini series category. With its film-level production quality and high-intensity storytelling, the series has emerged as a year-end breakout hit, challenging long-held stereotypes of mini series.

The creative team behind the series is notably strong. Screenwriter Chen Xingxing breaks away from formulaic, overly sweet storytelling, building the plot around a core of "rebirth and revenge" and "dual power struggles." Across 30 tightly paced episodes, the story unfolds through meticulously layered schemes, balancing explosive episode-level climaxes with long-term narrative threads involving imperial power shifts and concealed identities. The casting is precisely matched to the characters. Actress Liu Nian delivers a compelling performance as the dancer Xiyan, demonstrating her transformation from innocence to restraint and ruthless resolve. Her character, often described as "a blade hidden in a flowing skirt," is full of dramatic tension. Actor Yu Xuancheng plays Pei Yu, a ruthless court figure, creating a strong contrast in personality. Their relationship evolves from mutual exploitation to a life-and-death bond, earning strong audience reactions for its emotional and dramatic tension. Supporting actors such as Wang Xiyue and Liu Tianyang also deliver solid performances. 

What truly distinguishes Zhang Ming is its deeper theme of self-determination and defiance of fate. Through the intertwined rise of Xiyan and Pei Yu, the series powerfully articulates the idea of "taking fate into one's own hands." It satisfies fans of court intrigue with its cerebral plotting, while also offering emotionally immersive moments for drama lovers, setting a new benchmark for high-quality historical mini series.